Church of Scotland; Knox, John, approximately 1514-1572; Reformation -- Scotland; Theology -- Early works to 1800
the worde, that thei had no respect to thare awin particulare proffeit,
bot onlie to abolishe idolatrie, the places and monumentis thareof: in
which thei wer so busye, and so laborious, that within two dayis, these
three great places, monumentis of idolatrie, to witt, the Gray and Blak
theves,[774] and Charter-housse monkis, (a buylding of a wonderouse
coast and greatness,[775]) was so destroyed, that the walles onlie did
remane of all these great edificationis.
[SN: A GODLY VOW.]
Whiche, reported to the Quein, sche was so enraged that sche did avow,
"Utterlie to destroy Sanct Johnestoun, man, woman, and child, and to
consume the same by fyre, and thairafter to salt it, in signe of a
perpetuall desolatioun." We suspecting nothing suche creweltie, bot
thinking that suche wordis myght eschape hir in choler, without purpose
determinate, becaus sche was a woman sett a fyre by the complaintes of
those hypocrytes who flocked unto hir, as ravennis to a carioun; We, (we
say,) suspecting nothing suche beastlie crueltie, returned to our awin
housses; leaving in Sanct Johnestoun Johne Knox to instruct, becaus thei
war young and rude in Christ. Bott sche, sett a fyre, partlie be hir
awin malice, partelie by commandiment of hir freindis in France, and not
a litill by brybes, whiche sche and Monsieur Dosell receaved from the
Bischoppes and the Preastis heir at home, did continew in hir rage. [SN:
THE COMPLAINT OF THE QUEIN REGENT.] And first, sche send for all the
Nobilitie, to whome sche complaned, "That we meaned nothing bot a
rebellioun." Sche did grevouslie aggreage the destructioun of the
Charter-howse,[776] becaus it was a Kingis fundatioun; and thare was
the tumbe of King James the First; and by suche other perswasionis sche
maid the most parte of thame grant to persew us. And then incontinent
send sche for hir Frenchemen; for that was and hath ever bein hir joy to
see Scottishmen dip one with anotheris bloode. No man was at that tyme
more frack against us then was the Duke,[777] lead by the crewell beast,
the Bischope of Sanctandrois, and by these that yitt abuse him, the
Abbot of Kilwynnyng,[778] and Matthew Hammyltoun of Mylburne,[779] two
cheaf ennemeis to Christ Jesus; yea, and ennemeis[780] to the Duke and
to his hole house, bot in sa far as thairby thei may procure thair awin
particulare proffeitt. These and suche other pestilent Papistes ceassed
nott to cast faggotis on the fyre, continewalie cryeing, "Fordwarte
upoun these Heretiques; we shall ones rydd this realme of thame."
The certantie heirof cuming to our knowledge, some of us repaired to the
Toune agane, about the 22 day of Maij, and thare did abyde for the
conforte of our brethrein. Whare, after invocatioun of the name of God,
we began to putt the Toune and ourselfis in suche strenth, as we thought
myght best for our just defence. And, becaus we war nott utterlie
dispared of the Quenis favouris, we cawsed to forme a lettir to hir
Grace, as followeth:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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